Pumping your breast milk: An overview

When would I express milk by hand and how do I do it?

If you only need to express milk every once in a while – say, for a rare bottle-feeding – you may be able to get by with expressing by hand, although it might take a bit of practice to get it down.

Hand expressing a little breast milk can help soothe engorgement and plugged ducts. And if you have sore, cracked nipples, you might want to express a bit of breast milk by hand after each nursing session to rub over them and soothe them.

Many women find that expressing milk by hand is time-consuming, though, so it isn't usually feasible if you need to express a larger amount of milk regularly.

It helps to have someone demonstrate this for you, but here's a step-by-step:

Wash your hands before you start.

You may find it helpful to massage your breasts a bit or apply a warm towel before expressing.

Sit up and lean forward – gravity helps!

Place your thumb and index finger on each side of the breast, about an inch or so behind the areola, forming a C with your hand.

Press your fingers back toward your chest wall and then gently together. (You want to compress the area under the areola, not the nipple itself.) Use a rolling motion rather than pulling or yanking. You may need to experiment a bit to find the right spot – when you do, you'll squirt milk.

Rotate your fingers around the areola (starting on top and bottom and moving to the sides, for example) as you continue to milk each breast. At first you may only get a few drops. That's okay – you'll get more with practice.

You can collect your milk in any clean container with a wide mouth.

How do I store breast milk?

You can store breast milk in a feeding or storage bottle that's made of plastic or glass. A secure cap will keep it fresh. (Many pumps come with storage containers.) You can also use a plastic bag made especially for storing milk. Fill the container three-quarters full if it's going in the freezer, to allow for expansion.

For convenience, store the milk in the amounts that you normally use at a feeding. (If your baby typically takes 3 ounces, then store in 3-ounce portions.)

Remember to write the date on the bottle or bag before putting it in the refrigerator or freezer so you'll know when you pumped it. (You'll want to use the oldest milk first.) Don't combine fresh milk and frozen milk (by topping off a frozen container with some fresh milk, for example).

You may be surprised to see what breast milk looks like. It's normal for the fat to separate and float to the top, and sometimes the milk has a bluish hue, especially early on. (Your milk color may also be affected by your diet or medications.) Don't shake the milk. Instead, gently swirl it to mix the fat back in.

Your milk shouldn't smell or taste sour, but after thawing milk sometimes has a slightly soapy smell from the change in the fats. This is perfectly fine.

The process of freezing destroys some of the antibodies in the milk, so don't freeze it unless you have to. But frozen breast milk is still healthier and offers more protection from disease than formula does.

How long can I store expressed breast milk?

There are different opinions on how long breast milk stays fresh once it's left your body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says milk can be kept at room temperature for six to eight hours, though it's best to refrigerate it immediately. Use fresh, refrigerated milk within five days. (Store it in the back of the main part of the refrigerator.)

In the freezer compartment of a refrigerator (5 degrees F), milk can be frozen for two weeks. If there's a freezer compartment with separate doors (0 degrees F), it can be stored for three to six months. And in a chest or upright deep freezer (-4 degrees F), it will be good for six to 12 months. (Use the lower numbers – three months and six months – for best quality. At the higher end, the milk is still safe, but the quality will be a bit lower.)

Once you've thawed frozen milk, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If it's at room temperature, use it within one hour. (If you haven't used it in that time, you'll have to throw it away, since you can't refreeze it.) If you need to transport milk, keep it cold until just before using.

Some health professionals recommend throwing out any milk that's left in your baby's bottle after a feeding, though others may tell you it's okay to save a bottle of partially consumed breast milk as long as you refrigerate it right away and use it within four hours.

How do I thaw frozen breast milk?

To thaw frozen milk, hold the bag or bottle under warm water until it's a comfortable temperature or let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Don't use the microwave for defrosting or warming, because it kills the nutrients in breast milk and hot spots can develop.

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